Who among the following established the Shunga dynasty?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 1 i.e. Pushyamitra
Pushyamitra Sunga was the Brahmin army leader of Brihadratha, the last Mauryan ruler.
He assassinated Brihadratha at a military parade in 185 or 186 BC and ascended to the throne.
According to some historians, this was an internal rebellion against the final Mauryan ruler. Some believe it was a Brahmin reaction to the Mauryans' excessive sponsorship of Buddhism.
Pushyamitra Sunga's capital was in Pataliputra.
He successfully countered attacks from two Greek kings: Menander and Demetrius.
He also averted an attack by Kalinga King Kharavela.
He captured Vidarbha.
He followed Brahmanism. Some accounts portray him as a persecutor of Buddhists and a destruction of stupas, however, there is no reliable evidence to support this assertion.